1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: tip is about how to make your inbox more fun. 4 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: If you send messages to people you like, there is 5 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: a very good chance that they will respond. All of 6 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: a sudden, your inbox is a place you might actually 7 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: enjoy rather than just a chore. A great many people 8 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: complain about email, both the time spent managing it and 9 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: the draining nature of so much of it. But here 10 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: is an experiment. Look at your scent messages from the 11 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: past few days. How many are there that you initiated? 12 00:00:58,160 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: If you're like a lot of us, the answer is 13 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: probably not that many. You are generally responding to stuff 14 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: that is coming in. Even the stuff you are initiating 15 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: is probably pretty functional, like Hey, I'm going to need 16 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: you to cover the sales meeting on Tuesday because I 17 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: have a dentist appointment. No wonder email feels like a chore. 18 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 1: But here's an idea. If you start reaching out to 19 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: people you like, admire, or want to be back in 20 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: touch with, a great many of these people will respond. 21 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: Their messages will make your inbox more fun. I was 22 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: thinking of this recently. When I was reaching out to 23 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: some author friends about my upcoming book Big Time. I 24 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: was asking people if I could send advance copies to them. 25 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: A lot of people wrote back with very nice messages. 26 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: How cool to see so many friends in my inbox. 27 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: I feel this way every Friday when I email my 28 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: accountability partner and she responds, I know I have a 29 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: cool message from someone I like waiting for me to read, 30 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: with all the details about her week. It's like a 31 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: little treat now. To be sure, it could feel a 32 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: little strange to reach out to someone with no reason, 33 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: but I am sure you can come up with a 34 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: reason if you want to. You saw something that made 35 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: you think of the person. You realize that X happened 36 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 1: a year ago, and it made you think of them. 37 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: Something the person said came up in conversation lately, a 38 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,119 Speaker 1: mutual friend talked to you. I think you get the idea. 39 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: This really doesn't have to be hard. Now. Not everyone responds, 40 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: but a lot of people do. Some email exchanges will 41 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: lead to longer conversations or maybe even schemes to get together. 42 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: Others will just lead to something basic, like how nice 43 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: to see your name in my inbox. Yes, that was 44 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: funny year ago. Hope you are doing well. And I 45 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: mean maybe that's not so much more than nothing, but 46 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: it is still better than the vast majority of email 47 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: most of us receive. And my guess is the person, 48 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: we'll keep thinking about you. Something will come of it. Eventually. 49 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: When you put things out into the universe, the universe 50 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: does respond. Email is often terrible because it is just 51 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 1: whatever is coming in. But you can put positive things 52 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: out there and likely positive things will come back that 53 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: will make your inbox all warm and fuzzy or at 54 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: least not so tedious, and that is also a good thing. 55 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: In the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 56 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 57 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've questions, ideas, or feedback, 58 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 59 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 60 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 61 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.